304 SCIENTIFIC AMUSEMENTS. 



tion from the front surface of the inclined glass plate, apparently 

 standing on the stage at CD. 



As in all cases of reflection, the right and left hand become 

 inverted ; i.e., if the real actor extend his right arm, the virtual 

 image seen appears to move his left arm, and so on ; so that to make 

 the illusion complete, the actor whose image forms the "ghost" 

 must be careful to do all actions with his left arm that would 

 ordinarily be done with the right, e.g., drawing a sword, fencing, 

 &c. If the actor lie with his feet nearest the glass and his head 

 away therefrom, the image will be erect as usual ; but if he lie in 

 the reverse direction, the ghost will be inverted and will appa- 

 rently stand on its head. If in the former case the feet be at a 

 suitable distance from the glass, the image will appear level with 

 the stage flooring, but if further away from the glass the ghost will 

 be proportionately elevated in mid air ; so that by drawing the 

 actor away from the glass (by allowing him to rest on a board, 

 &c., covered with black cloth and furnished with castors), the 

 image will apparently rise in the air. 



Ordinarily, the lights are so arranged that both the back of the 

 stage and the well are illuminated together, so that the spectators 

 see the real actors through the glass and the spectral illusion by 

 reflection from it simultaneously. By turning down suddenly the 

 lights illuminating the well the spectre disappears, whilst the real 

 actors remain visible. 



A model " Pepper's Ghost " can be easily made at very little 

 cost by fixing a large inclined pane of glass (such as an ordinary 

 large window pane) in front of a miniature stage with the ordinary 

 pasteboard characters, &c., and placing under the sloping glass a 

 deep tray, painted dull black or lined with black cloth. One or 

 more powerful dark lanterns must be provided, throwing a beam 

 of light into the tray when the dark slide of the lantern is opened, 

 but not otherwise visible to the spectators. The stage itself must 

 be illuminated with candles, &c. (all the rest of the room being 

 darkened) to such an extent that the "characters" on the stage 

 can be distinctly seen, whilst at the same time the reflection of 

 another character placed flat on the tray and illuminated by the 

 lanterns can also be distinctly seen. With a little patience and 

 ingenuity a very effective ghost illusion in miniature can be thus 

 arranged. Scenes from " Faust," where Mephistopheles suddenly 

 appears and disappears like a phantom, and such like incidents, 

 can be thus rendered very prettily, care being taken to hide all 

 the accessories from the spectators by means of curtains or screens 

 so arranged that only the stage itself with the pane of glass in 

 front is in view. The spectators must be placed as much as 



